About two months ago, Howell, a part-time worker with Timeline Logistics in Houston, was too far behind on his bills and was kicked out of his Houston apartment. The 63-year-old has been living at the Salvation Army for a little over a month and driving to and from his job.

He gets some disability for his bad heart, but it’s still difficult for him to get by on only 20 hours a week at a part-time job.

On Saturday, he got a little bit of help in the form of some clean clothes, a new toothbrush and a warm meal. Several volunteers with the Montgomery County Homeless Coalition held an open house at the Hungry & Homeless Ministry Life House at its location behind the Conroe United Way. There were about 100 people in attendance.

Jack Hay, executive director for the coalition, said the location is the headquarters for the ministry, in which he also is involved. The ministry brings together volunteers from several churches in the county, including The Ark Church, The Woodlands Church and United Methodist Church of Conroe.

Hay said the location is perfect because there are 12-15 nearby homeless camps with 50 or 60 homeless people. Overall, he said there are about 200 homeless camps in the Conroe area with 600 homeless people. He estimates that there are as many as 2,000 homeless people in Montgomery County, with as many 300 to 400 in Willis, Magnolia and New Caney.

“We want to add to the community and to the lives of the homeless,” Hay said of the coalition and the ministry.

The coalition has as many as 35 members, while the ministry has more than 800 volunteers. Hay said the coalition takes care of the business side, while the ministry focuses on the faith-based aspects. In addition to providing clothes and food to the homeless, the organizations are dedicated to helping the homeless find jobs.

“We want to find the reasons they can’t get jobs,” he said. “We’re working with them through education and try to get away from relief to focus on empowering them.

“The problem with the homeless is that there’s no hope, no direction, no way to get out. They’re camping on land they don’t own. … Just as society mistrusts them, they don’t trust society. And we have to get that trust back.”

Hay said they also drive several homeless to and from church, and that faith is a very big part of what the organizations do.

Connie Inge, who was homeless for four years until a couple of weeks ago, was baptized June 12 at The Woodlands Church. Inge still participates with the organization as a cook and said she is proud to volunteer her time.

“They’ve done a lot for me,” Inge said. “They give you support and tell you that you can do it.”

Hay said many members of the organizations are former homeless people who have come back to help the homeless in the area.

“Homeless will turn to relationships, which turn into the most important thing to them,” he said. “In most cases, they want to stay and help give back.”

Another volunteer, Daniel Cheek, who lives with his parents in the Conroe area, said he has been helped by the homeless groups.

“They are so important,” Cheek said. “They will help people get off the streets and into houses.”

Hay said they are working closely with law enforcement in the county regarding the homeless population. He said there are no legal homeless camps in Montgomery County and the organizations don’t promote the camps, but rather “try to get them out.”

“When the landowner kicks them out, they’re just going to go to some other place,” he said. “They have no other place to go. We’re not promoting it, but we do what we can with it.”